Tag Archives: what’s on

You’ll be forgiven for thinking that at the end of the summer the area falls into a Sleeping Beauty-like torpor – but far from it! There is still plenty going on to keep us entertained!!

As soon as fall starts, there are the harvest festivals such as the ones I wrote about last week. The theatre season starts up again in Narbonne, Beziers and Montpellier. Beziers has several venues for theatre, classical music, dance and even opera – you can find the full programme here.

The theatre in Narbonne is housed in a very modern building, quite a contrast to the quaint old theatre in Beziers. It does have better sight-lines than the theatre in Beziers, and the second (smaller) auditorium has been equipped for cinema screenings. The programme can be found via this link.

Montpellier, being a big city, has a number of theatres of all types – a modern opera house, a grand 19th century theatre building and several smaller theatres. There’s always something going on! The programme can be found here.

Coursan and Limoux have their Foires au Gras – literally translated as ‘Fat Fairs’ but they are really foie gras markets – on November 18 (Coursan) and 24 (Limoux), 2018.

The truffle markets start this year on December 15 with a market in Moussoulens. The last truffle market of the season will be on March 10, 2019 in Cabrespine – you can find dates and the programme here.

In preparation for Christmas (think shopping!!), eleven wineries in the Saint-Chinian area have a day of tastings and visits on December 8, 2018 – the programme can be found via this link.

Next, we have Christmas markets! They are becoming ever more popular in the area – here is a small selection for you:

In the bigger towns, the Christmas markets are on for most of December:

Les Hivernales Christmas market in Montpellier is open from November 29 to December 27, 2018.

Carcassonne’s Magie de Noel opens on December 6, 2018 and closes on January 6, 2019.

So far, most of this post has been about food and other shopping opportunities. Here now are a few more opportunities for entertainment:

On December 12, 2018 the Salle de l’Abbatiale in Saint-Chinian hosts a concert with the La Cantarela choir from Beziers, Ulrike van Cotthem (soprano), Sebastien Mazoyer (bandoneon) and Conrad Wilkinson (piano). There’ll be music by Debussy, Faure, Schumann and Strauss, and the Misatango by Martin Palmeri. This should be a very good concert – don’t miss it!

The Christmas concert in Narbonne takes place on December 15 in the cathedral, with the Narbonne Symphony Orchestra, the Via Lyrica choir and Daniele Scotte (soprano). This should be another great concert.

And finally, If you are a fan of the circus tent, you’ll have to visit Toulouse between December 1, 2018 and January 6, 2019. The Grande Cirque de Noelpitches its tents at the Cepiere racetrack in Toulouse. There will be acrobats, clowns, horses, daredevil stunts and more!!

This week, I want to share with you all the great events that will be taking place in Saint-Chinian this summer. It’s quite a list already, but there will be more events as we move through the summer!!

Throughout the summer months a number of events are recurring every week:

Saturdays: vide greniers (flea market) on the market square

Tuesdays: marches nocturne (night markets) with music and food on the market square

Wednesdays: cinema sous les etoiles – open air cinema in front of the town hall

Thursdays: music in the cloisters

A detailed list of activities is available from the town hall and the tourist office!

For those who need a break from the football matches, the concert of the Petits Chanteurs is timed to be just between two games!! They’ll be singing a mixture of religious and secular music.

Bastille day celebrations – 14.07.2018

There’ll be fireworks in Saint-Chinian again – followed by a concert in the market square! The full programme will be available from the town hall nearer the date.

Fete du Cru – 22.07.2018

A day packed with wine-tasting! The winemakers of the AOC Saint-Chinian set up their stands on the market square – paradise for wine-lovers, who’ll be able to taste and buy their way around Saint-Chinian wines!! There will be food trucks, music, games and a tombola (prize draw)!!

8eme Academie Musicale, Saint-Chinian – 14 to 21 July 2018

For the eighth time in as many years, Herve Hotier and Lauranne Chastal, with the collaboration of Michel Lavignolle and Laure Zehmann Lavignolle, are running a week of classes for flute students. Masterclasses will be given by Michel Moragues, 1st flute of the Orchestre Nationale de France on July 15 and 16; he will also give a mini recital on July 15 at 7:30pm. On July 20th the students will give a concert in the Salle de l’Abbatiale at 7:30pm

Festival MusiSc – 23.07.2018 to 29.07.2018

Twelve concerts over six days – this music festival has something for everyone! There’s classical music, jazz, world music and even gospel. The full programme is at www.festivalmusisc.com

Open day at the Cooperative winery in Saint-Chinian – 03.08.2018

During the day, there will be guided visits of the winery. At 6.30 a newly commissioned mural will be unveiled in the winery. Outside the winery, there’ll be a dinner with live music from 7.30pm – reservations are essential!

Jazz au Cloitre – 07.09.2018 to 09.09.2018

Four evenings of jazz concerts in the wonderful surroundings of the cloisters. Full details can be found on www.festivalmusisc.com

If you haven’t already planned a visit to Saint-Chinian, this should be an incentive!! Accommodation can be found on www.midihideaways.com

This coming weekend, Chateau de Perdiguier in Maraussan is opening its doors to the public for the annual flower and garden show. I wrote about the event a few years ago. Here is the link to that post.

Spring is a time for gardening, and to continue with that theme, this event is taking place in Beziers for the first time this year. The official website gives a list of exhibitors – it sounds as though there’ll be some interesting plants there! I’m sure I’ll be able to find something for my garden!! 🙂

Farm open days, various locations in Herault – 28 and 29 April 2018

You may remember my post about my farm visits last year – if you don’t, you can find the article here. The next open days are coming up soon, and you’ll be able to find details of all the participating farms via this link.

European museum night – 19 May 2018

Since 2005, European museum night has been enchanting visitors every year. It’s a free event and it gives visitors the chance to discover the treasures of museums all over Europe in different ways. You’ll be able to find the programme for Herault via this link.

Fete de la Musique, all over France – 21 June 2018

This one is an absolute must for your calendar!! There will be concerts everywhere, from small recitals of classical music to large pop/rock concerts! Saint-Chinian will be hosting a concert that day, details are yet to be announced.

Festival MusiSc, Saint-Chinian – 23 to 29 July 2018

The music festival will take place from July 23 to 26 this year. Two concerts on each of the six days (no concerts on Tuesdays), in the historic surroundings of the former abbey church, the cloister, and the parish church of Saint-Chinian. A variety of concerts with different styles of music which are sure to appeal: Classical, jazz, Latin rhythms, world music etc… Full details can be found on www.festivalmusisc.wordpress.com

It’s time for an update on upcoming events in the area – there is much to look forward to!!

Limoux Carnival – 7 January 2018 to 18 March 2018

The good people of Limoux take their carnival very seriously. Different groups have the run of the central square every Saturday and Sunday during the carnival period. It’s always an enjoyable festival to visit – I have previously written about it here, and you can find the full programme of this year’s events via this link.

Fete du Mimosa, Roquebrun – 11 February 2018

The Fete du Mimosa is a must if you are in the area – a great fun fete! I have visited many times and I’ve written about it here.

Vinisud 2018, Montpellier – 18 to 20 February 2018

This international wine fair is aimed at professionals, and showcases the region’s output. 1,500 exhibitors show 26,000 product lines – lots of wine to work through!! You can find details of the fair here.

I think you would have a good time at this annual event in Saint-Pons, which I have visited on a number of occasions, and written about previously. The format has changed somewhat since my article, but I imagine that the fete will still be very enjoyable!

Truffle Markets in the area – until end February 2018

The truffle harvest in the area continues into February, and visiting a truffle market is very enjoyable. You can find a full list of dates and locations via this link. And if you want to know what it is like to visit a truffle market, have a look at the post I wrote about my visit to one such market a little while ago.

Escale a Sete – 27 March to 2 April 2018

Once again the tall ships will be mooring up at Sete for what promises to be an amazing week, celebrating the 350 years of the port of Sete. I wrote about the tall ships in March 2014 – find the post here. You can find information about this year’s programme via this link.

Journees Europeennes des Metiers d´Art, all over France/Europe– 6 to 8 April 2018

The European Artistic Craft Days are held every year on the first weekend in April. They give the public a chance to see expert craft makers in action. A few years ago, I visited a workshop where verre mousseline is made – see for yourself here. You can find the full programme of this year’s event on the official French website.

Guided visits of the Savonnerie carpet workshops, Lodeve – Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year

The Savonnerie workshops continue a tradition of carpet-making in France which dates back centuries. I’ve visited the workshops in Lodeve a number of times, and wrote a post a little while back. If you want to visit, make sure you reserve in advance. Full details are on this website.

Grande Deballage, Pezenas – 6 May 2018

This event is not to be missed if you are into flea markets and antiques. There will be in excess of 150 stalls, selling all kinds of “stuff”!!

World Rugby has announced that France will host the World Rugby U20 Championship in 2018 with matches being played in Béziers, Perpignan and Narbonne. The five match days will take place on 30 May, 3 June, 7 June, 12 June and 17 June. More details on this website.

Festival de Carcassonne – 17 to 30 July 2018

The Carcassonne festival is one of the biggest in the area, attracting stars such as Elton John (a few years ago). This year’s star-studded line-up includes Robert Plant, Beth Ditto, A-Ha (remember them??) and Simple Minds. You can find the full programme here.